Is Every Civilization Doomed to Fail? - Gregory Aldrete

[@AfterSkool]

Black Friday starts early. Get 20% off with code: afterskool100 Much love. shop.afterskool.net/

[@chrishicks8347]

You would have to get rid of money. Holy Spirit of Humanity

[@I_am_that_one_guy]

Please look into behavioral sink, it shows how we hit a peak of society, we lose our drive, And start dying off. This explains all civilization collapse cause by man, not nature.

[@michalisspiliotis6353]

Black friday was for to selling slaves!!

[@Steel_Senses]

No not every civilization. Just debt based economies. There have been two economies not based of of debt. Salt and sea shells. Salt was traded in Rome for some time i believe it was them or Greece… Electricity could be our new form of economy, but we are all so smart we don’t listen to anyone so this comment will go un read and looked over as if I’m talking fantasy make believe stuff… your all the ones who just got upset about voting for a popularity contest… just saying.

[@nitsudocsicnarf347]

Your definition of anarchy is wrong. Anarchy simply means no rulers, not, without morality.

[@luki381]

If we learn one thing from history, it is that humanity does not learn from history

[@BarnDoor-won5ve]

Doesn't help when the victors of history who win biasly and non-objectively create, control, and provide the history people are taught either

[@spiralsun1]

There is a glaring omission from this discussion and that is meaning or purpose. A higher pattern, a truthful pattern that anyone can see. In the modern world this has its foundation in science. Building meaning on the foundation of science, binding all spirituality and religion into unity, deeply understanding the larger patterns at work beyond your own life and needs, would heal the cycles of misinterpretation of self and reality and break us out of the dead-end cycles of history. The primary enemy of future peace and harmony is censorship-because now it’s automated prejudice by bots. If anyone has two brain cells to rub together and thinks about the future, this is the removal of the lifeblood of every civilization. The true lifeblood. The beginning of the end of humanity is paved by ostensibly good intentions. There are some things that simply never work. You cannot make a tourniquet around the belly of a pregnant woman and then expect them both to live. Life is the progress of physical thought, a human has turned 180 degrees into the dimension of symbolic thinking directly. Censorship is to our future like stepping on 1000 butterflies like in the novel “A sound of thunder”. Smashing the seeds of the forests of the future. A human is an organism that lives in the past and the future. The past ever seeks a grip on its heart-and we see it in the baby who is born reflexively grasping at anything presented. The truth motive is the highest motive, and directs the grasp to the invisible things between people and words-meaning. In my book “Eye of god: Language of Universal Mind” I show exactly what this looks like and means for the future of the world. ❤️‍🔥👁️❤️‍🔥 I am currently working on a script for After Skool. This was EXTREMELY HELPFUL. Thank you so much ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤!

[@Michiganmayor420]

Yes, and doing so is labbled under one of the 3 words pronounced "communism"

[@sherececocco]

Right on. How can history repeat itself? People would rather give their Will away for free than connect to it. How would someone choose to give away their Will?

[@deshaebeasley]

Maybe they would learn from their futures. Five topics to fix society via discussion: -Anti-natalism vs Natalism -The 3 basic needs/prenatal needs Three things necessary for human evolution that are provided while in the womb which are; food, shelter and medical care. -Platinum rule Do whatever makes one happier unless it interferes with another persons ability to do the same. -MBTI (research yours and connect with others) -Art (pick one and get better at it!)

[@user-xl2fs3ff6f]

It's eerie to hear a 2000 year old account of how Democracy degenerates into demagogy while seeing the exact process in action. I'm not sure exactly how accurate the entire cycle idea is, but, the basic idea that systems start off idealistic and then degenerate into their cynical and exploitative shadow forms because of corruption and resentment is so simple and explanatory that it just makes sense.

[@IncanTek24]

"Empires do not suffer emptiness of purpose at the time of their creation. It is when they have become established that aims are lost and replaced by vague ritual." -Muad'dib

[@TomyDayos]

All that corrupt leaders need is to convince people that the other side is evil. Its tribalism. To not be a tribalist it's needed to agree to disagree and to learn that the other side is not as evil as we think. Our brains like to play pretend that other is full evil, to make us full good.

[@Rhaegar19]

I wonder if the founding fathers thought that they were establishing the democracy phase or if they realized that they were the aristocracy phase.

[@doujinflip]

Probably the latter, since they originally instituted indirect elections of Senators and the President. Not much more democratized than the House of Lords and the King that America broke away from.

[@tellingfoxtales]

The question becomes, what will you personally do to progress beyond demagogy to the next positive stage?

[@slothachunk]

The U.S. follows the Roman's 3 branches of government example, and yet Rome fell. It seems like greed and inequity is a constant throughout all civilizations.

[@komododragon6061]

It's probably because all civilizations are based on some kind of hierarchical structure, where Power and wealth have to be more abundant in some people groups over others. The birth of civilizations itself was also the birth of great inequality too.

[@yatchyodepuga2809]

Might be also it is in our dna that humans always seek something/someone to follow and then a few are born to lead. Communism sounds good on paper but the leaders of it will eventually succumb to greed and corruption.

[@BasedRoots]

The only way to fix it is to figure out how to preventbthe corruption of the spiritual caste. All great empires die when their connection to God dies. Why do you think Rome fell dramatically 13 years after adopting Christianity. A foreign God, all your cultural identity being rewritten. Its a tragedy. Seems to me Abrahamists have long has a hand at corrupting these institutions. So im not a fan on their brand of spirituality. The Greeks did great work. I look to Plato whom the Jews and Christians plagiarized to no end.

[@mckenziejenkins2194]

💯

[@joshuawadsworth6417]

Greed and decadence* There will always be inequality and inequity no matter what.

[@downtownjb100]

The bad news is that nothing lasts forever. The good news is that nothing lasts forever ☯️

[@Madskills-hw2ox]

Exactly ☯️

[@InvestorSpeed]

Jesus and Heaven will last forever.

[@Christs_Apologet]

​@@InvestorSpeedalways

[@mahboubnik2376]

😂😂😂 so, is it bad or good after all?

[@coltonwilliams4153]

@@mahboubnik2376 Yes.

[@cambarr6933]

In every phase of this cycle people have learned how to game the situation. Every time.

[@troybaxter]

Which proves how vital it is to be active in ensuring the rules and laws are followed. Complacency leads to the degradation of the system, and inevitably said System's collapse. Sadly we are seeing this today with people pushing for more power for people at the top, division amongst ourselves via our leaders of all Parties, and the overall degradation and dissolution of our Constitution by people who believe it is out-dated and that they know better.

[@ecurewitz]

It took the 248 years how to do so

[@robertmartin9029]

@@ecurewitz People have gamed the system throughout the last 248 years, they just haven't (generally) been quite so blatant.

[@Gradashy]

The problem is that life span is like in companies. A person can create a very successful company, but the company is doomed when he dies and passes it on to his descendants. It is not very uncommon for the child of the owner to still keep it or even expand since many times that child sees the company grow and work along with the original owner, but eventually, over the transitions of generations, the company will go broke.

[@hindugoat2302]

its not the same people, cycles happen over hundreds of years

[@SuitedAJ]

Oh my god... 14:30 - Mind. Blown... The executive branch is monarchy. The judicial branch is aristocracy. And the legislative branch is democracy. I never recognised this before...

[@SuitedAJ]

17:30 AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!! 🤯

[@aliceputt3133]

Yep. That's what the Founders were trying to do. That's why breaking the balance of powers is what is destroying American Democracy now and it is a planned intentional sabotage.

[@johnny83746]

Technically the senate is like the aristocracy also. Originally they weren’t even directly elected

[@ThatGuillermo]

a little something for everyone! pity that the judicial branch has usurped so much of the power of the other two, though.

[@GiovanniAdami]

The senate was supposed to be made of the most virtuous, moral, and capable people in your state. The governor was supposed to be the best of the Senate aka a King who vetoes bad laws from the Senate. Check out Friends Divided: Thomas Jefferson and John Adams by Gordon S. Wood. Chapters 6-8.

[@heronimousbrapson863]

The fall of civilizations may not be perfectly smooth either. Empires and nations may decline, re-advance, then decline again before collapsing entirely.

[@tuxtitan780]

I agree, I also believe Polybius' cycle is a bit outdated. His cycle describes the rise and fall of a ton of empires and civilizations, both those which came before and after his time, but I believe the last few hundred years, mainly after the rise of nationalism, industrialization, and now the internet, the cycle has been broken, and there no longer is a cycle that can accurately describe the rise and fall of all civilizations generally. For example, Germany in the last 200 years or so. Nationalism brought an incredible amount of states together into one, the leaders of said state competed with other large states to continue expanding their power, those leaders walked Germany into a massive war, and they lost. Their empire both was stripped away from them and collapsed, and in the empire's place, a democracy took hold. External events ultimately led to life in that democracy to deteriorate, and the people sought extremeism to aid them since all else had failed. Extremism took hold, a strong man came into and consolidated power, then led Germany straight back to war, where they lost, and the country was divided for half a century. Despite that, the country came back together and flourished once more under a new democracy. None of that particularly aligns with the cycle Polybius laid out. There was no tyranny of a leader which led to the rise of aristocracy and eventually an obligarchy, democracy did not come about via the people overthrowing a corrupt obligarchy, and the democracy did not deteriorate due to younger people taking for granted things like free speech. The German civilization rose, fell, fell again, and then rose again and didn't follow the cycle which is laid out at all. And a good part of their rise again can be contributed to nationalism, which brought the German state divided into two back together. Thus, I dont believe the cycle is super great or relevant anymore in the modern day. The world and civilization has changed far too much for it to remain 100% true.

[@vegetableman3911]

@@tuxtitan780even England and now Britain. It fell to the vikings multiple times shortly after it’s formation. Then it was conquered by the Normans. Under Norman leadership, England came to dominate Western Europe under the Angevin empire. Then it lost that empire to France and remained a rather insignificant island nation for until the 16th century. It would become the greatest empire to ever exist from the 18th to the 20th centuries. Now it has been declining ever since. Had about 2 significant rises, and many more falls.

[@Mrfinch9999]

Because the culture follows a life cycle, not the civilization itself. Many civilizations had many cultures rise and fall in them. Take China or Rome for example. Rome literally died and became the Byzantine empire (still Rome) and then died again.

[@skykingimagery899]

@@tuxtitan780 It may be safe to say all Empires fail.

[@tuxtitan780]

@@skykingimagery899 I think that part is definitely true. There's never been an eternal empire, except mayyybe China if you want to make an insanely massive stretch. But I don't think the cycle Polybius laid out is very true anymore with so many developments in the world since his time

[@johnchester7476]

What never changes, is greed,avarice, corruption, decadence,slavery,injustice arrogance, & so much more

[@troybaxter]

This is true. And this is why I will always roll my eyes when people believe we can make Heaven on Earth. It's impossible.

[@joecoolioness6399]

Yup, and no amount of laws will change that.

[@kenbuffie2877]

There is a moral of all human tales: 'Tis but the same rehearsal of the past, First Freedom, and then Glory; when that fails, Wealth, Vice, Corruption, barbarism at last. And History, with all her volumes vast, Hath but one page. Lord Byron, ~ 1815

[@BP-iz2lt]

@@joecoolioness6399 GET TO WORK COOLIE

[@DonVigaDeFierro]

Yeah. The cycle cannot be stopped as long as humans exist... But it can be delayed... We may as well stick with one system long enough that we learn how to diminish its worst consequences when the wheel inevitably moves.

[@RaphaelChan888]

I love how the distinctive colour scheme clearly defines and illustrates each phase

[@RygerPete]

I love after school, and that he hasnt changed the format to make easier money! Knowledge is true power, not money... Have a great morning/day/evening/night everybuddy Take care, give love ❤

[@AfterSkool]

I appreciate that. I believe these videos will stand the test of time and serve as an educational resource for generations.

[@deshaebeasley]

Five topics to fix society via discussion: -Anti-natalism vs Natalism -The 3 basic needs/prenatal needs Three things necessary for human evolution that are provided while in the womb which are; food, shelter and medical care. -Platinum rule Do whatever makes one happier unless it interferes with another persons ability to do the same. -MBTI (research yours and connect with others) -Art (pick one and get better at it!)

[@RygerPete]

@@AfterSkool i believe they already do that! I have heard about a school using your videos as material to acquire knowledge beyond the "boring" corriculum they teach.. i cant remember the name of the school, but i believe i read it in a comment under a After school video. Me and many many other highly like that the format is kinda timeless, so it is an anchor in a ever changing world digitally- or mental-wise..good for add/adhd etc Hard set format also makes it easier to acquire the knowledge thats is being presented. It works like a wisdom-funnel.. 🥰 (I am sorry my first language is not english) If you need anything done in the Danish language, just let me know and i will gladly help you translate or proof-read it) Kindly Rygerpete

[@mljohnson75]

That's why they say "wars are fought for knowledge" /s

[@burnyizland]

@@deshaebeasley -Neither. Instead choice WITH education. We need to teach humans how to raise other functioning humans. How are we all happy winging one of the most fundamental societal determinants? -I hate to argue semantics but successful evolutionary shifts(so not the individual, but the community) happen in response to hardship. It is in fact the lack of food, shelter, and medical care and other necessary things that is necessary for changes in the genome to result in changes in the population's traits. Semantics aside, the bigger picture is that providing these necessaries frees us to concentrate our efforts on improving our lives(again, not singular but plural). Should continuous evolution be the goal? I prefer quality over quality in most things myself. --I wish I could remember which culture(or religion, or scifi novel?) I read about that platinum rule for the first time but I do support it wholeheartedly. -INTJ, pleased to meet you. -Music for me. It has always been music. I enjoyed this quiz; do you have another?

[@Iightbeing]

Perfectly timed, these concerns have been on my mind. Thank you for creating and sharing this. It is very much appreciated.

[@WiseandVegan]

The best documentary on the topic 👉 The Connections (2021) [short documentary] ❤

[@rnedlo9909]

It would seem us humans are on a surfboard bobbing up and down in forces that the individual rarely has a chance to influence. Realizing that 'rough waters' are coming, keeps with the pattern of history and can help the individual first prepare, then accept what cannot be changed, then take advantage of the opportunities that eventually arise. The key right now is to get rid of the thought it can't happen to us and realize it's only a matter of time that it will happen. 248 years is a long time for a democracy. Adjustments are inevitable

[@supplychainanalytics9114]

There is a key piece he and this theory have missed - Freedom of Speech - which is central to the Liberty question. He said it but it was inconsequential. Its not Equality - which is a new thing but Liberty. Equality which becomes Equity harms every institution and degrades the ability to produce goods and services, and science and technology, leading to ruin. The erosion of that liberty signals the end of that era. We are seeing this now.

[@thesilversurfer7136]

Well as a student of history I am grateful for this breakdown of human life. Until humans learn to care about others more than greed and have the temerity to hold those that break the laws or social contracts accountable, we unfortunately will keep repeating this ridiculous cycle.

[@dermick]

You are right. Humans only learn from teachers. This is where we have failed - we neglected to teach our young the important things necessary for our survival, and sadly we will reap what we have sown (again).

[@Ennuae]

The greatest fault of humanity is a poor memory

[@ZM-dm3jg]

Bruh Gen Z got tiktok brain, they can barely even remember their own names let alone the lessons of history

[@Ennuae]

@ I agree

[@Senorzilchnzero]

Or..perhaps distractions?

[@Ennuae]

@@Senorzilchnzero good point, but I like to think that if we could truly remember that the distractions are bad for us, instead of forgetting for the sake of instant gratification

[@robertagren9360]

Even if with good memory nobody want to learn the past.

[@drwinstonOboogi]

This is an amazing channel The brilliant illustrations The compelling story telling It's all consistently fabulous

[@AfterSkool]

Thank you! That means a lot!

[@augustuslxiii]

Comment poetry.

[@ADPax10]

@@augustuslxiii Agreed!

[@LearnHistoryOrElse77]

This is so good. I taught this in my high school level classes in order to explain the U.S. Constitution. Wish I had this video when we did that. Maybe we can cycle back around and use this video for a review. Nice!

[@jolenajade]

You need to teach the real origins of your nations constitution. Do look into the great law of peace

[@DRourkey]

I forget where the argument was, but pretty sure it was Greek philosophers where they were arguing about republic vs democracy and the guy who was in favor of a republic said, "democracy only works when only the kindest and best educated are allowed to vote." To which the other guy said, "that's not a democracy" And he said, "exactly. Democracies don't work" And the rebuttle was, "I've met smarter and kinder things in a pond of scum than your republic senate"

[@WiseandVegan]

The best documentary on the topic 👉 The Connections (2021) [short documentary] ❤

[@WiseandVegan]

Kindness? Go vegan. Dominion (2018)

[@Raz.C]

I just wrote a whole comment about this, so I'll be brief here: The Roman Republic would have crumbled less then 100 years after it formed, as a result of the Plebeans revolting against system. The Republican Senate overlooked them and possibly even oppressed them and they'd had enough. As a compromise, the Senatorial position of Tribune of the Plebs was formed. A member of Plebean society would be elected to the Senate every 'x' years (I don't remember the frequency) who had the power of Veto over any legislation or Senatorial action that he felt wasn't in the best interests of the Plebeans. The creation of this one Senatorial post for Plebeans served to entirely mollify the anger of the Plebs and forestall the death of the republic for a further 500 years. When the Roman Republic did die, it wasn't due to a Plebean revolt from below, but rather due to a power-grab from above.

[@edwinmerrick1375]

A republic can function many ways, oligarchy, theocracy like Iran, or democracy(representative) like us. It's not one or the other. A republic mainly means you're not a monarchy.

[@Alwaysiamcaesar]

@@Raz.C Yep, Trump is close to Caesar. If you think that’s obtuse, “history repeats itself first as tragedy than as farce.” It doesn’t mean Trump and Caesar are one-to-one, but Trump’s the watered down, farcical version…

[@angelosenteio]

These concepts should play a bigger role in mainstream education I’ve been fascinated by organizational structures and whenever I bring this topic up in conversation it’s quickly dismissed and I think this is part of the problem. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”-George Santayana

[@Grassdia]

It’s cause we have this stigma that philosophy is only for highly educated people as if someone can’t question the world they live in and thus we are not encourage to think early on.

[@gaiustacitus4242]

No one can remember the past when the "history" taught in mainstream education is nothing other than political propaganda designed to justify the heinous acts of government.

[@samanthagreen9639]

Mainstream education is not meant to educate or to foster the intelligent thought of individuals so they can make sensible, wise decisions. School is mandatory to make sure the masses are indoctrinated, confused and programmed to follow the herd mentality regardless of Common Sense and Devoid of Human Decency.

[@joecoolioness6399]

Except our higher learning is completely controlled by leftist extremists. So they aren't going to educate the students on things like this because then the students might not be left when they get out of school.

[@jacobhurley9587]

Hate to tell you bud, but the piss poor state of American education is a prong on the fork of a political agenda. We are ruled by a few on the backs of many ignorant people. It is that way because someone(s) has already prioritized their power over state stability and it has only been getting worse. We are far past the turning point. Off a cliff you could say.

[@Dziad_Gada]

Great work! I appreciate how much effort this must have taken. Well-deserved recognition! Greetings from the Republic of Sovereigns❣

[@Raz.C]

During the early republic, Rome was in danger of being overthrown by its people, who felt that the senate had lost touch with the common people and neither heard nor cared for them or their concerns. As a result of the friction, the position was created in the senate, known as Tribune of the Plebs. To occupy this post, a person had to be of the plebean class (common folk) and while occupying it, he had the power of veto over ANY proposed legislation or senatorial action. This quelled the fomenting rebellion and satisfied the common folk. The Equestrian and Senatorial classes retained their traditional power and so they too were satisfied and so the Republic endured for some 500 years longer.

[@ryanbarclay7939]

Interesting. Sounds like the inspiration for the House of Commons/House of Representatives.

[@benred88]

They were a good idea in principle , but then the senate decided to just murder them if they became too much trouble. The Gracchi brothers were both tribunes and were both killed.

[@ashmanguru5287]

The responsibility and accountability lies in both the leaders and the people. Both not to be in comfort and take things for granted.

[@DiluviumEyesofThunder]

To add to that. Statistically a set of random patterns run in Conway's game of life is nothing but chaos. When an order emerges, it is far from a normalcy. Reality has a much larger ruleset that Conway's game of life. A nation stands on a delicate market of power between peoples. Tip the market Scale-Of-Nested-Multi-Dimension any which way, and you will seed chaos.

[@peanutbutternjelly4736]

The artwork that accompanies this is incredible. Particularly that last shot.

[@BorisTheRed]

Stumbled upon this little gem - instant love, instant subscription! More of this is needed, and fast! For someone like me, with limited attention span but not with limited desire to learn new things, this is perfect!

[@elisamontrose-roback676]

Mr. Aldrete has the perfect voice to explain this; so calm, so knowledgeable. Thank you for this video, especially now.

[@jake9854]

but u think its boring n nerdy tho

[@DrTallin]

Thank you, Gregory Aldrete, your videos are always a joy to watch. Please record more!

[@meh4770]

This is part of the tragedy of the human condition -- in the pursuit of our desires for personal wealth, freedom, power we are willing to undermine community and social interests. A healthy civilization means that its citizens are proud, inspired to support the common good, and willing to make sacrifices to protect their institutions. An unhealthy civilization is one in which people despise their own history and the values, personal greed is unchecked, power is wielded over others with abandon, causing humiliation and resentment to build. Ultimately this resentment explodes in a nihilistic frenzy in which the desire to tear it all down means that the fate of that civilization is sealed.

[@TheVoiceOfReason93]

America seem to be getting there.

[@jaysonmatining23]

right

[@gregmccauley1687]

@@TheVoiceOfReason93 it seems like most Western democracies are. They are around the same age so it makes sense if the premise is greed/lust for power over time. Wealth gap, general animosity among citizens, extreme political parties on both sides taking power; is happening most places. Erosion of speech (happening everywhere) gives late republic vibes

[@perfectsplit5515]

"An unhealthy civilization is one in which people despise their own history and the values, personal greed is unchecked, power is wielded over others with abandon," Administrative Deep State

[@Spideritems]

I wonder how much of this is literally just FOMO on a huge scale? Humans are wired for fight or flight and that will never change, if we live in fear of missing out, we have to be seen as being strong and fight for our survival within our own family group.

[@skykingimagery899]

This is absolutely brilliant. I am continually amazed how smart the Greeks were over 2500 years ago. What have we learned since then? However, it seems nearly predestined. From which there is no escape. Facing our new Robespierre, Savonarola, Hitler or Stalin.

[@joecoolioness6399]

Nah we just voted those types out.

[@croisaor2308]

@@joecoolioness6399 Trump is the obvious analogue to those, even his most ardent supporters would see that. He's the anti-establishement, swamp-draining candidate to the people who voted him in, while Kamala represented the status quo, the old order.

[@walter-vq1fw]

​@joecoolioness6399 We just voted in someone that tried to get blackmail an enemy politician and got charged for it. He also very publicly supports an oligarch, and has several admin from project 2025 which is dedicated to deteriorating the structure of checks and balances. He also advocates for policies that are going to cause the USD to collapse and is so charismatic that people rally behind his every move in spite of it.

[@Luxia-f1e]

there is no predestiny civilization is fated with nothing the only reason these cycles exist is because everything eventually hits enough bad rocks to fall apart, these events often have overlap due to some problems being a lot more common than others

[@sjonnieplayfull5859]

​@@joecoolioness6399 this aged like fine milk. Enjoy president Musk

[@laurawhite6452]

I watched Carter's speech known as, "The Conflict of Confidence" just before this video. This was on the side scroll of suggested videos. If today (Jan 7) wasn't already ironic and poignant with President Carter's funeral, this video sure made it a day for deep reflection.

[@DanielPekic]

Gregory is a brilliant educator. Despite his popularity, he took the time to reply to my questions in great depth in email. What a gentleman.

[@kristiannicholson5893]

“The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide” - Romance of the Three Kingdoms

[@VincentLowe]

This made perfect sense, and it maps to the rise and fall of other prominent civilizations. Great work, thanks!

[@125discipline2]

pride before the fall. a story as old as time.

[@WiseandVegan]

The best documentary on the topic 👉 The Connections (2021) [short documentary] ❤

[@Senorzilchnzero]

Ah...the ego..it both creates and destroys

[@bootskanchelsis3337]

religion poisons everything, every single time.

[@ADPax10]

@@Senorzilchnzero Including itSELF

[@chrisball8356]

It's why an angel became Satan.

[@E2Dima]

Wow, this video is extremely important. And to think that there exists an analysis of 2000 years old that we don't use in our daily debates about governance. Thx for uploading, I think this video might become timeless! All praise

[@TheHesseJames]

There isn’t much of a debate in the US. 90 % of the public voices you hear are of the owners (oligarchs) and their agents (politicians and media).

[@4thdimensionalexplorer]

It's always seemed to me that most of our strengths can also be our greatest weaknesses. Everything has a price, and we almost always become entrenched into a "norm" and try and preserve that at all costs. We inevitably create systems that weaken our ability to adapt. Nature has shown us that you adapt, or fall behind. Even a good adaptation is no garentee a massive change won't bring you low. We have a unique opportunity as a species to really look it over and pursue new systems and adaptations to societies problems.

[@Robert-yc9ql]

Nicely done. and very timely My takeaway from this is that once a strong enough leader emerges who can upset the balance of power, the civilization begins the long slow decline. It is only through the maintenance of that balance that a civilization thrives. Take a look around and decide for yourself exactly where we are today.

[@antodiyo7523]

It's not only strong leader (tyrant) but strong expert class (aristocrat) and people power (mob rule) too The roman fall bc the consul and people kick the Senate (populist) Why they kick the Senate? Bc the Senate is so arrogant against the people

[@Seattleintherain]

I’m an American. I’m eighty years old. I believe I am witnessing the beginning of the end of another civilization. Of democracy, at least. Thanks to our technology the slide won’t take long. Ed Sullivan used to show an act by a plate spinner. The fellow would set up a dowel, set it spinning with his hands, and then balance a China plate on top of the spindle. He’d do the same, one after another down the line, running back to the beginning of the line to spin the dowel again, then do the same down the line until he’d start another and another stick spinning until he couldn’t keep up. The first plate would lose spinning momentum and crash. One by one they all lost momentum and all the plates crashed to pieces. That’s how I describe what is happening in America. At eighty I’ll see a few plates fall and shatter but I won’t be around for the end of the act. I read history, I know how it ends.

[@cmt6997]

A strong leader is only half the equation, many often forget why and how they emerge. Perspective of dynamic environment that created system passes out of memory. System becomes ossified, rife with apathy and corruption, making it increasingly brittle. Continues on this negative trajectory until the strength of someone able and willing to upset the system exceeds the strength of the system itself. Even if by some miracle no strong leader emerges (or they are continually nipped in the bud by equally ambitious strong men), the system continues to weaken until it breaks down completely or Balkanizes.

[@allison210]

Yes, but it's not necessarily about a "strong" leader, but more specifically a demagogue - "a political leader in a democracy who gains popularity by arousing the common people against elites, especially through oratory that whips up the passions of crowds, appealing to emotion by scapegoating out-groups, exaggerating dangers to stoke fears, lying for emotional effect, or other rhetoric that tends to drown out reasoned deliberation and encourage fanatical popularity." Someone who "manipulates their connection with the people, and the raging popularity it affords, for their own benefit and ambition" and "threatens or outright breaks established rules of conduct, institutions, and even laws." "A demagogue is defined by how they gain or hold democratic power: by exciting the passions of the lower classes and less-educated people in a democracy toward rash or violent action and breaking established democratic institutions such as the rule of law. The central feature of demagoguery is persuasion by means of passion, shutting down reasoned deliberation and consideration of alternatives. While many politicians in a democracy make occasional small sacrifices of truth, subtlety, or long-term concerns to maintain popular support, demagogues do these things relentlessly and without self-restraint. Demagogues 'pander to passion, prejudice, bigotry, and ignorance, rather than reason.'" (Wikipedia) Sound like any modern figure you can think of? Very timely indeed.

[@renesilva9705]

Following the model, America is at the tail end of Democracy. Good luck there

[@bostonblunt]

Jung vs SpongeBob 😐 "I order the food, you cook the food, the customer eats the food. We do that for forty years, and then we die." - SpongeBob "About a third of my cases are suffering from no clinically definable neurosis, but from the senselessness and emptiness of their lives. This can be defined as the general neurosis of our times." - Jung

[@gregbors8364]

Put them together, and you’ve got JungBob

[@deshaebeasley]

@gregbors8364 Five topics to fix society via discussion: -Anti-natalism vs Natalism -The 3 basic needs/prenatal needs Three things necessary for human evolution that are provided while in the womb which are; food, shelter and medical care. -Platinum rule Do whatever makes one happier unless it interferes with another persons ability to do the same. -MBTI (research yours and connect with others) -Art (pick one and get better at it!)

[@AndyBlackburnart]

JungBob Symbolismpants

[@samuelkang4680]

@@gregbors8364you have officially created my favorite KZbin comment ever.

[@matthewbittenbender9191]

SpongeBob is a happy Sisyphus and Jung knows sees him as the antidote to the great neuroses of our time.

[@Movieboozer]

I've listened to or watched most of Professor Aldrete's lectures on The Great Courses. If you like his presentation here, definitely consider looking those up. Very enlightening and he presents the material in a very compelling fashion.

[@CMXIIX]

Esoterically, Aldrete’s work reveals how Greek and Roman archetypes-justice, heroism, beauty-still resonate within our collective psyche. His insights into ancient gestures and public rituals uncover how symbols and shared intent shape reality, like modern invocations. By exploring these ancient cultural blueprints, Aldrete invites us to transform past wisdom into a foundation for new enlightenment, bridging timeless archetypes with today’s evolving consciousness.

[@WiseandVegan]

The best documentary on the topic 👉 The Connections (2021) [short documentary] ❤

[@WiseandVegan]

Animal abuse also comes from these outdated and barbaric past cultures 👉 Dominion (2018)

[@Ribulose15diphosphat]

And Justice is what Dooms us.

[@hari4406]

Those are not greek archetypes. Those archetypes clearly existed even before that.

[@DanielAura]

Makes me so happy every time I see you upload a video. One of my favorite channels on youtube :) Keep up the good work!

[@AfterSkool]

Thank you for the encouragement!

[@tysondennis1016]

Empires live for an average of 250 years. America is 248 years old, and is showing signs of terminal decay. Let that sink in.

[@iridiumhydrogen8420]

Scary but it's true. Let that sink in

[@geennaam8029]

the united states will become a tech -dystopia, and will become somthing like wall-e or somthing like west world,

[@Fokko]

What needs to be sink in you are saying nothing significant, it’s basically rubbish and is not that deep at all which look like you think it is. Empires don’t live.... however as a concept they do exist (until they do not) Your here now, alive and breathing therefore you exist (until you do not) Can you compare America with Empires? Was from the start America an Empire? Can you consider in any point of time America as an Empire? Will America end as an Empire? No No No and Maybe.... only I’ve you like to think America is an Empire then it is Yes Yes Yes and Ofcourse America roots has founding from a Tyrant Great Britain..an Empire... an Tyrant They basically were a colony for profitable reasons, growing cotton picked by non volunteers they held in check by Tyranny over them! But yea that’s what Empires naturally do so that’s okay.. that’s natural. But then it feld like Tyranny the upcoming never ending looking likely rises of taxes so they rebel and get rid of the tyrant! Since they not part of an Empire anymore and agree no more Emperors Republic it is then ... officially America has always been an Democratic Republic While they kinda always have been a mix of aristocracy and oligarchy while behaving like a tyrant❗️🙃

[@jw2223]

😲…that’s crazy! The ending of the US oligarchy is near, you just need to look at peoples reaction to Luigi Mangione to know…

[@MrMassaraksh]

@@jw2223ahaha, and then musk pockets government 😂

[@daisukidatotoro]

Greg Aldrete is such a great orator. He is a pleasure to listen to and learn from and easily the best part of The Great Courses.

[@Zen-zu7sq]

It's a joy to listen to somebody who speaks with passion. Thank you.

[@iboqueen43]

Thank you...Professor Aldrete. As I was watching your video. I realized that maybe the United States is in the decline phase, followed by a revolution ending with a more inclusive, people-centered government. This knowledge helped me not be so afraid after January 20, 2025. One Love!!!!

[@AmongGhosts]

It seems to me like the prevention of decay would rely on at least 1 or 2 of the forms of government being in a healthy state. This way, when one begins to fall into its dysfunctional counterpart, the other two can step in to reverse it. I think the US has found a way to break itself. All three forms of our leadership, instead of checking eachother, formed a culture of their own in something that resembles an oligarchy discussed in the video. I think the US is on it's way out despite having multiple forms of government.

[@coltonwilliams4153]

Like he said, the Roman Republic could only arrest the decay. Pausing it for a couple centuries was the best they could do. We never tried to improve upon the original model. We just sat on our laurels and praised ourselves for establishing “the best form of government”, while ignoring the fact that the only reason our government was “the best” was because, as Churchill put it, every other option was worse. Of course we’ll only last as long as the Romans did. We might be able to wring out a few more decades, but unless a serious paradigm shift occurs, it is likely far too late to resuscitate us. The best we can do is weather whatever storm comes.

[@deshaebeasley]

Five topics to fix society via discussion: -Anti-natalism vs Natalism -The 3 basic needs/prenatal needs Three things necessary for human evolution that are provided while in the womb which are; food, shelter and medical care. -Platinum rule Do whatever makes one happier unless it interferes with another persons ability to do the same. -MBTI (research yours and connect with others) -Art (pick one and get better at it!)

[@User-jr7vf]

Don't worry. Basically all of the world is hostage to your currency and hence will work together to ensure you don't fall. Also that is the reason why you have so many bases all over the world, which makes you the most powerful army in history. The American empire won't fall overnight.

[@chrisgraham2904]

Republicans have spoken to become the leaders in the democracy. The House and the Congress are majority Republican. The Supreme Court are now puppets of the Republicans. A President has been elected to fulfill the role of demagogue. No one is left to keep check on the others.

[@virginiamoss7045]

@@User-jr7vf It will and has begun to fall from within where military might cannot make a difference. At best, the rest of the world will take over our bases in the chaos.

[@KimberlyPerrotis]

I enjoyed Dr. Aldrete’s courses on the Great Courses, but I didn’t know he had an Audible book published. I just added it to my library. This video was great, too, and the art is amazing. I’m glad I found this channel!🙂

[@jake9854]

but u think its boring n nerdy deep in ur heart tho

[@jq747]

Democracy dies to thunderous applause.

[@TheVideoRaf]

Loved the analysis! So applicable to our very own events befalling our country and government at this moment in time!😔

[@thecuriousboardgamer]

​@@leeturnbull2082HAhahahahahahha, yeah right. America just voted itself into the oligarchy/tyranny stage. The downfall of America is nigh.

[@sinny721]

​@@leeturnbull2082 naive af

[@shaunaksoni7595]

I think you are doing a very important job helping spread absolutely vital information. Thank you very much!

[@Margriet101]

You are right, unfortantly i did not get this information at school

[@marylouferguson6682]

What a wonderful way to tell a story. Use this idea to teach children and adults the history of our entire planet. ❤ 👍❤️

[@alanwest6949]

Many who fail at emotional development challenges form groups to force their way, whilst others give up self governance to follow what others say. Many who fail at emotional development challenges also fail to discover truth that would help them overcome that challenge.

[@DiluviumEyesofThunder]

As if that's the lynchpin here? Emotion does not put food on the table. But I'm glad Feudal lords can sit in comfort, write poetry and enjoy each other's company.

[@alanwest6949]

@ Feaudal lord needed artificial construct called a title to feel whole? But just can’t seem to feel whole? What else will help them feel whole?

[@DiluviumEyesofThunder]

@@alanwest6949 Well in my analogy you are the feudal lord, and I'm the serf dying on the frontlines to solve your midlife crisis. And I don't much care for this arrangement or for your moral quandaries. ya copy?

[@alanwest6949]

@ When I feel motivated, I know it as a calling to heal something, whereas many others see it as a calling to earn money by repeating some unloving action. I’m watching by the sidelines feeling whole with a glow of love around my chest, with no title, no role, wondering how many years does this repeat, should I say something. Maybe if I say the people attracted a leader who beat reflects their unresolved issues. All the families who have a democratic weekly vote on issues of the household, attract true democracy as a reflection.

[@DiluviumEyesofThunder]

​@@alanwest6949 Cost and effect, in a complex web of influences. This will continue, as it does, and always has. The only thing that can possibly change is your perspective and understanding of it. Natural forces evolve or it dies (even if it's wrapped in pretty packaging, and neat little bows). We are all born creature of environment, and unique history. You can watch, or you can ride, and I'll confess I too have been watching terrible things I didn't understand for all my life.

[@ImBalance]

8:45 is where we’re at in America right now. Great job not being bothered to appreciate our institutions even a little bit, everybody!

[@cmt6997]

Yes, it’s incredible how quickly we’re descending into apathy and criticism without any frame of reference whatsoever.

[@DiluviumEyesofThunder]

"Great job not being bothered to appreciate our institutions" As if that's the issue. This is how I feel about atheists taking cheap shots at theists. Respect is important, less important I think than pointing out the fact that the emperor indeed has no cloths. If the people feel like chattel, they will make it known.

[@SunShine4Pacal]

It is probably where most of the world is now as social media etc influences and aligns ideals and entitlements, when all the synchronizes we may see another world war or similar event.

[@hapybratt8640]

@@DiluviumEyesofThunder Are you saying atheists should appreciate theists because they are an institution that brought order and peace?

[@DiluviumEyesofThunder]

​@@hapybratt8640 Wow. You must have a high opinion for human institutions. Religion? Yes, I am implying that, but that's not at all what I am saying.

[@waskyhenry6306]

Excellent history class. I was glued to my phone 🤳 screen until the end of the lesson. Just what I needed for a Monday morning 🌄.

[@ExploratorFortunae]

Thank you, very much! This helps me a lot to understand the current political situation in many countries. At first it seems like human kind is doing same mistakes again and again. But there is some development, even though our progess is very slow, I still hope we can evolve that far that we don't destroy us completely.

[@amykaywatson]

At 14:42 I paused the video, muttered, "Well, John, you tried."... and sat on my sofa, weeping.

[@ericnetterstrom8050]

This video reminds me of the very first line, the opening sentence of the Chinese epic, Romance of the Three Kingdoms: "The world under heaven, after a long period of division, tends to unite; after a long period of union, tends to divide."

[@exdejesus]

Wow! This was terrific! And so timely, now that the US is teetering on the brink of returning to monarchy.

[@yamchayaku]

Since we never learn from the blunders of past civilizations AND ACTIVELY repeat it INTENTIONALLY, the answer is yes.

[@blackridgeproductions2738]

WOW. Phenomenal video. It’s rare to get a video on politics and history without propaganda and strong bias. This was great.

[@pcpmendonca]

Great timing. Which level are we in the US now? I believe we are in the "decline and fall" phase of the American empire.

[@WuweiSol]

After Trump comes mob rule. 😂

[@Zanaze_banane]

Trump is the best defense against the decline of democracy. And it's not just America: it's the entire first or 'democratic' world.

[@ReRe-yl6dq]

@@WuweiSol its the dems who are trying to get rid of the constitution, which is our checks and balances on government.

[@GungaGaLunga777]

@@WuweiSol Trumpism is a trojan horse, he manipulates the mob so he can rise to power as the stongman savior demagogue. The end of the Republic. Tragic.

[@virginiamoss7045]

Clearly! My grandson will have to witness this as his mother grows old. I'll be gone. His children will suffer the most.

[@baselius662]

When Thomas Aquinas rediscovered Plato, Aristotle, and Polybius. He wrote on the nature of government, on what he called "mixed government," where each government countered the others and kept them in balance. A monarchy with a king beholden to the aristocracy and an elected assembly. This became the norm throughout Europe at that time, with England being the ultimate example with a king overseeing a parlaiment made up of the nobility, clergy, and elected representatives. When one faction became too powerful, the others teamed up against it. This system was so stable that England basically kept the system, with the prime minister taking over the royal duties until today.

[@GirlWith9Lives]

So grateful for this channel, a true masterpiece and desperately needed during these times 🎨

[@guspena1204]

18:15 even back then men were constantly thinking about the roman empire

[@7184610369]

This channel is awesome. It's very thought provoking.

[@RoTxJAKE]

This is the first video I’ve ever watched on this channel and thought Professor Aldrete was the normal host and all videos would explore ancient history and philosophy like this. While I am a bit disappointed that is not the case, the rest of the channel looks awesome and I can’t wait to watch more. Also definitely checking out Prof. Aldrete’s work!!

[@VitharPL]

Its ironic thar Romans seemed to find the solution for anacyclosis, yet still succumed to it's inevitability

[@coltonwilliams4153]

The Prof used the best word to describe how the Roman Republic dealt with the cycle. They didn’t “stop” it, they “arrested” it. Paused the decay. It was the best that they could do with their knowledge and wisdom.

[@DiluviumEyesofThunder]

@@coltonwilliams4153 Or perhaps anacyclosis A concept born of a Greek philosopher out of the ashes of Greek civilization is instead uniquely Greek. The beginning is accurate, Perhaps the ending is predictive, but who is to say there are not more or less phases in the middle.

[@Axel-n8n2m]

This channel is a beacon of light in a world of darkness.

[@melissaolson2517]

This was truly excellent! It should be included in all high-school Social Studies (History) curriculums. It's just a fantastic way to teach these complex ideas.

[@invin7215]

The illustrations just keep getting better! Very clear and memorable.

[@mountainhobbit1971]

seems like human nature really hasn't changed all that much at all for a very long time.

[@fuckyougeorgebush]

It has never and will never change. Human nature = Tabula rasa

[@troybaxter]

It hasn't. And anyone that believes we have overcome such mindsets and systems in our modern world, are simply naive fools.

[@johntiger74y]

I have to say that this was very compelling, thought-provoking, and informative. It was a pleasure to watch very refreshing. Thank you.

[@papablue3015]

Power and greed will be the demise of humanity!!

[@takezomiyamoto1390]

Power and greed is part of humanity. We made it this far thanks to our capabilities, including the hunger for power and greed. Some would argue than fighting against it is but another representation of our desire to control things and take legit credit for it.

[@WiseandVegan]

The best documentary on the topic 👉 The Connections (2021) [short documentary] ❤

[@666bruv]

Definitely the western culture. The native cultures of the world were content without excessive and worthless crap

[@astronautical1082]

@@takezomiyamoto1390Power and greed are the purview of under-developed cognitive domains.; not part of a well-developed mind.

[@troybaxter]

​@@666bruv not even remotely true. They still fought and had wars with each other over petty things. Just look at the Comanches, the Aztecs, and the Mayans.

[@kellieholding8160]

Just remember the golden rule. He who has the gold, makes the rules.

[@dandylandpuffplaysminecraf8744]

USA right? Get out more. Go north.

[@josesluisfabiani-churchill5070]

Natural Law always steps in it would seem

[@RygerPete]

@@kellieholding8160 that is why it is called the golden rule 💛

[@RygerPete]

@@dandylandpuffplaysminecraf8744 telling others to go out, while having playsminecraft in profilename is funny!! Fun-ny i tell ya 😁 Bro goes out, goes north for like 12feet and slams into a wall.. so what now, no more going north? 😂

[@hairytentacle3924]

He who has the might, can extort the gold

[@modern.day.meditations]

Absolutely excellent video! These matters should be seriously studied in schools, maybe we can learn to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.

[@funwithmagnus8570]

Physics and the law of entropy applies just as much to matter as it does to human society.

[@funwithmagnus8570]

@ReBornArt80 care to elaborate? Does everything not tend to a state of disorder? Give me a counter argument instead of a statement that means nothing.

[@nickfixit]

That's not an argument. ​@@Momgoose80

[@crw662]

That’s not how physics works. You can’t apply the physical to the societal and say it is the same.

[@ARvsAK]

⁠It’s common for people to confuse society and civilization. Joseph Tainter’s analysis on historical civilizations is calorie-based. Tom Murphy is a physicist who applies calorie-based arithmetic. To me their work is pretty dispositive but look it up yourself if you’re interested.

[@ds2237]

​@@Momgoose80 The second law of thermodynamics is not the definition of entropy. What it is, is an example of entropy.

[@NilsExp]

This is the only thing about history that actually matters.

[@transplant-f3p]

My college professor discussed this subject. Causes and after affect are the same for each "empire" that has risen. He also discussed how history has been glamorized. It was not what we see in movies and TV.

[@gilbertwong4139]

Fantastic video, it was very thought provoking and seems relevant at a time like today with so much geopolitical tension. Everyone should watch this.

[@jaymesguy239]

This model of civilization can be easily contradicted and does not take into account that societal development is different at different times and in different parts of the world. For instance, the founding and development of Rome mixed up all of these things. It started out as a Kingship and then became a Republic then and Empire. 'The People' never 'rose up' and took power, because they did not have the ability to do so in such a militarized society and dictatorship.

[@SnorriTheLlama]

It is a useful tool but obviously not a complete one. Also, the ‘uprising’ was in fact a theme in the patrician-plebeian conflicts, and only avoided the overthrow stage because more power was granted to the plebeian class to resolve. Also there was the social wars which also was a class struggle and uprising for more equal rights. So the people kind of did rise up and take more power. However, his argument was also that Rome had managed a blend which was more stable. I presume he has covered more nuance, but this is just one overall pattern. But comparing to other long lasting civilisations/dynasties would be useful.

[@timeisnotaline]

Professor Aldrete's appearance on the lex fridman podcast is so good! Highly recommend

[@shovelspade480]

This seems not just for the management and cultivation of the masses but also for the individual. Why do some people flourish and others perish? Why do some people grow and others degenerate? Collectively we engage with this cycle and these phases, but also as individual we face the same challenges in life.

[@soonny002]

I learned a lot today. :) But then there's China, which seems to be bucking the trend, going from one monarchy to another, from Emperor Qin to Xi Jin Ping, and has somehow survived the Romans and Greeks as a civilization. The Chinese (except the Hong Kees) have little desire to rule by adopting a democracy. This is a uniquely Western thing. Top-down rule is deeply entrenched in Chinese mythology, tradition, and culture. Take the idea of the 'mandate of heaven,' for example. It is a quasi-meritocratic form of ruling that allows the people to dethrone an incompetent ruler without installing people's rule (i.e., democracy) because the masses inherently seek out another ruler to perpetuate the top-down ruling structure. Both the ruler and the people believe that heaven ultimately decides the fate of the people, thus submitting authority to something higher. This ultimately invalidates the struggle between ruler and subjects. Of course, modern China is very different, but I'd argue that the Chinese have simply replaced the mandate of heaven with the mandate of prosperity. They will overthrow Xi if he fails to deliver prosperity. Even so, Chinese culture and identity will endure despite political and economic turmoil.

[@SpilledRooibos]

Greek culture and identity survived... believing culture will survive says nothing of a system of government surviving. Also, one could argue that China simply short-circuits the cycle. The end of one monarchy can be the beginning of another. And in history, China is known for fragmenting in civil war and recombining more often than other world regions. Also, China is considered by many to currently be an oligarcy

[@ritwik5774]

@@SpilledRooibos Then those "many" do not understand China's implementation of the people's democracy as opposed to the West's bourgeois democracy.

[@后宫后]

Most people may accept the decline of the West, but they will not accept the uniqueness of China

[@argrover4210]

The ever dreaded repeat of history amazes me as I can see it in my own short years; and He seemed to be correct; love that you show it as a snake eating its tail; A lot of people do not value the things they have and take them for granted until its too late and its gone. Wonderful show; thank you for sharing it with us.

[@rob_barriecharles2042]

The trigger that restarts the cycle is exceptionism. All the people saying that "America is different", who see the american forefathers like gods, instead of another sign post in the Greek to Roman to modern society makers. America is not special.

[@cptkochill]

Rome wasn't built in a day but it fell much faster than it took to establish it. There was a time that humanity went forward and excelled , blossomed in art , science , engineering , architecture and math . It went so far for so long but now it all appears and feels as if soceity in every aspect is back peddling . 🧐

[@coltonwilliams4153]

If countries can be equated to living beings, then the global society that is humanity as we know it today is a kaiju scaled beast, with multiple nerve clusters serving as secondary brains. These clusters help keep it alive longer, but it’ll all fail just the same.

[@DiluviumEyesofThunder]

A pretty Ode to lady time, and death himself. I don't ascribe to the idea that humanity only progresses forward. I do believe in a universal cycle of creation destruction and synthesis. In America I would say that life, and by extension society feels empty because the store of energy created from the last great synthesis event Woodstock, and the baby boom, is almost fully depleted. I'm silently hoping we can find new solutions without war, and that the destruction can instead be a symbolic cleansing of rot, rust, and all that which binds.

[@nekhumonta]

Actually it's decline lasted a few centuries

[@bongwelll]

I wish you get your wish but unfortunately that's not how these things usually work.

[@manofsesame3024]

Fun fact is that it took couple of centuries for Roman Empire to collapse from the time it starts falling. And many of Roman’s enemies and rivals collapsed in those centuries before Rome. So Roman did collapse faster than it’s built but still out lived most other rivalry powers.

[@aaroncrewse5746]

In the USA our government is just shy of $36 trillion in debt. We elect the same people over and over who spend and spend on behalf of their backers. Projects that don't make sense. Foreign aid for countries that hate us. Lawmakers that wright laws that are thousands of pages long, per law. Getting back into a dangerous phase.

[@kierantoohey5469]

I wonder if we eliminated direct election of senators we’d make them more aristocratic; a form of nobility much more interested about the lasting future of the nation and less worried about reelection The ability to lock up the upper chamber and reel in the demagogues of the lower house may prove to be vital for the future of the nation

[@robertholland7558]

The $36 trillion debt is fictitious, it does not exist in reality. It is nothing more then the disparity of the value assigned to things, and that what underwrites this values. All that is required is to devalue everything by $36 trillion, it is that simple. Of course those that hold these overvalued things won’t be happy about such revaluation.

[@Aziz-wl1xf]

@kierantoohey5469 Removing elections will have the opposite effect because now they won’t have any accountability. That’s when they’ll become self serving, much more so than today.

[@SnorriTheLlama]

@@kierantoohey5469As long as they aren’t hereditary and get caught up on things like status as referred to. Maybe you can only join if you have demonstrated with your life that you have served the wider interests of your country.

[@Kdottwatters]

@@SnorriTheLlamaanother gate kept 😂

[@amyrosenold-music-healing-yoga]

Thank-you, this is an excellent presentation. I especially admire the skill of the illustrative artist who renders the words into succint and powerful images, with their left hand!

[@williambowling8211]

Of course, the Greeks thought the Romans to be barbarians. They spoke Latin and the word barbarian, to the Greeks, was anyone who didn't speak Greek.

[@MrQuinnlord]

Ok?

[@esmeraldaweatherwaxe970]

if you get aquianted wth roman society, you will understand why the greeks found them icky.

[@ianfougere1713]

The term “barbarian” specifically came into use by Greeks who mocked the speech patterns of the Germanic people.

[@cynthiabauer5763]

that is true but there are also other factors. Cicero himself admits at his time the Latin language was devoid of literary culture, of which the Greeks had in abundance... The Roman upper class all spoke greek as a primary language and learned literacy from greek texts... Right after the time of Cicero came Octavian Augustus who sponsored his poet friend Virgil to write the Aeneid, which then became the first great Latin literary work and main school children book.

[@charlie3134]

The common thread throughout all these civilizations is they were all ruled by men. I would love to visit an alternative universe where all civilizations were ruled by women. 😊

[@Demegogue]

Technically, all of these civilizations were very similar, as our civilization now. Winners and losers, strength vs weakness, trade vs commerce. The foundation is doomed to fall. We seem determined not to live together civilly.

[@mahoo_ofc]

Thanks for the video! Was a very comprehensive and insightful refresher for me!

[@cango5679]

Doomed to fail is the wrong assumption. If dying is failure, then every human is doomed to fail as well. Civilizations, organisations, nations, all are born, prosper, and then die. Just how the wheel turns

[@Romulus23]

Everything has an expiration date

[@hapybratt8640]

I've always thought of it as form of evolution. A constitution is only as good as the time it was written, if it cannot adequately evolve with the world then it must be replaced with something better. You slowly get a government that is more resistant to corruption or revolution, but probably never immune to either.

[@louievito5701]

Cope

[@That_Freedom_Guy]

🎯👍🏻

[@chrisball8356]

Humans were designed to be immortal by Jesus Christ, until Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge.

[@Zushi_Tsunami]

Much like a car if left without maintenance and modification will corrode and fall apart. The cars we drive today are product of generations of improvements. To think a government is perfect and cannot be improved is when it will begin to fail.

[@kongbanana8947]

What if I think the gubmint is imperfect and can't be improved for that reason.

[@troybaxter]

Yes, and like a car, you need to know what parts you are replacing, why you are replacing it, and the quality of the part you are replacing it with. My car might slowly be breaking down, but it does no good to replace the same tires every month when the issue is that the engine block is rusting out, or replace a perfectly fine engine with an old rusted out one I got from the junk yard.

[@komododragon6061]

​@@troybaxterand that's where human error will make it's mark known. Mistakes happen, human flaws in reasoning, interpreting, assessing, discerning, etc. are what eventually end all empires and countries.

[@fkglobalize8875]

After school is the best to expose and explain any topic.I just love it. Keep up the great work. THANKS.

[@garrusv]

Individual civilizations: yes Collective human civilization: eventually, yes

[@tuckerbugeater]

lol

[@coltonwilliams4153]

The bigger the beast, the longer it takes to die. Global civilization today is basically a kaiju sized beast with almost a dozen nerve clusters that act as secondary brains. It’ll take more time, but it’ll fall all the same.

[@jasonrabeiro2009]

Humanity's greatest gift is a rich intellect. Humanity's greatest curse is a poor memory.

[@MrFritzthecatfish]

Technology is destroying our ability to memorise , ask any psychologist

[@takumiito97]

I have studied Plato’s “Republic” but have not heard of Polybius. Thank you for the enlightenment.

[@RainingAnarchy]

I think the key to extending and perhaps breaking this cycle are term limits. It helps prevent the power grab.

[@Raptor_Ren]

extending definitely, but during times of crisis, which can be wholly out of people's control to stop or prevent, then people are happy to let strongman leaders promising change change or break the laws restraining them.

[@thewolfe1099]

Term limits and restrictions of what Congress can do . What company lets their own employees set their own pay, terms, health care, retirement etc? Insane. Term limits need to be in place and an amendment that those conditions mentioned above just be directly voted on by the people rather than the legislation.

[@RainingAnarchy]

@@thewolfe1099 Pay is easy. Pay should always be the average of those being governed. Mayor makes the average salary of those in the town/city they represent. State Rep, Senator, Governor makes the average salary of those in the state they represent. President makes the average salary of a US citizen. Perhaps then folks in government would make better choices.

[@darkeviljaxson]

we are still in indentured servitude. nothing ever changed. wake up

[@acerimmer8338]

Student loans and employer provided healthcare.

[@ID10T_6B]

By the way, as a Hong Konger, I learned a lot of Chinese and Western history. What was said in the video has also happened in ancient China, and chinese philosophers have also pondered on these questions, and created new philosophies such as Confucianism and Taoism.

[@vallotze]

I believe that what is missing in all forms of governance is what we as humans neglect too much: our feelings, our emotions and everything that goes with them. As long as we don't include this part of the human being, be it in science or in forms of governance, we will keep hitting the wall. As it is so beautifully written in The Little Prince: the eye is blind to the essential things. You can only see properly with your heart.

[@coltonwilliams4153]

While I feel some truth in what you say, some would argue that there are too many feelings in today’s politics. That the overly emotional masses are getting manipulated by those with malicious intent. Unfortunately, I can’t break away from that either, so I don’t know how to balance it all out.

[@vallotze]

@coltonwilliams4153 Hmm.... I don't think that's quite right or is too imprecise. We have never learnt how to deal with our emotions. That means it's not the emotions, but the unlearned way of dealing with them. It's similar to Money and Happiness Link. Money does not make you happy! It's the freedom from worry that you can buy. That's why it only makes you happy to a certain point. "We do not inherit this earth from our ancestors, but borrow it from our children"

[@deshaebeasley]

Five topics to fix society via discussion: -Anti-natalism vs Natalism -The 3 basic needs/prenatal needs Three things necessary for human evolution that are provided while in the womb which are; food, shelter and medical care. -Platinum rule Do whatever makes one happier unless it interferes with another persons ability to do the same. -MBTI (research yours and connect with others) -Art (pick one and get better at it!)

[@Kindaul]

This is incorrect, peoples emotions are molded by themselves. Its up to an individual how they feel about a given topic, governing based on amotion would simply be manipulation which is what we have, its what propaganda gains its power from. What we need is truth and the willingness of many to seek truth over personal bias(emotion).

[@Snes64]

Gay

[@bogusphone8000]

The biggest gap herein is the corruption and evil of humankind. No matter the structure, model, or laws, humans will be humans.

[@andrzejnadgirl2029]

Evil is relative, corruption is expected - system that doesn't account for corruption is a simply bad system. Government types aren't meant to fight against human nature but only to govern it in most beneficial way for people involved. What do you even understand by being evil here?

[@off6848]

@@andrzejnadgirl2029evil is absolute there is no such thing as relative, evil is error and flaw which is inherent to humanity due to freewill

[@andrzejnadgirl2029]

@@off6848 oh, I'm not Christian so those concepts you're proposing here are alien to me, you're talking about the initial sin... Okay then, we'll if you believe you're flawed then I hope you'll fix yourself soon!

[@NeilGaede1]

@@off6848 Which is relative depending on your definition of evil. Absolutes must have a frame of reference and not everyone agrees what that frame is. If evil was absolute, and everyone agreed on that, there would be no disagreement between people about what is wrong and what is not.

[@komododragon6061]

It's not even just corruption and evil, General shifts and changes in society can make a governing body more and more obsolete, thus ensuring that that governing body will eventually end.

[@shraddhagreensoulz7529]

Thank you! It really explains a lot about current events.